Adjustable head roll for seat structure



June 17, 1958 J. J. BRANDON ADJUSTABLE HEAD ROLL FOR SEAT STRUCTUREFiled May 19, 1954 IN V EN T 0R.

United States Patent ADJUSTABLE HEAD ROLL FOR SEAT STRUCTURE Joseph J.Brandon, Chicago, Iil., assignor to Coach and Car Equipment Corporation,Chicago, 111., a corporafion of Illinois Application May 19, 1954,Serial No. 430,781

' 6 Claims. c1.1ss-177 This invention relates to an improved seatstructure of the general class used in railway passenger cars, airplanesand highway buses, and has for its principal object the provision of animproved head rest for a seat structure of the above class.

The above type of seat structure ordinarily includes a head roll at theupper end of the back rest portion of the seat. Such head roll isusually formed integrally with the back structure, but in some instancesit has been proposed to hingedly support the head roll on the upper endof the back rest portion of the seat structure. Applicants co-pendingapplication Serial No. 365,579, now Patent No. 2,801,678, dated August6, 1957, is directed broadly to an adjustable head roll of the generalclass herein disclosed, but includes a torque spring for supporting thehead roll in various positions of adjustment. The present invention isdirected to improvements on the said co-pending application with theview of simplifying the hinged articulation of the head roll to theupper end of the seat structure and to provide improved means forsupporting the head roll in various positions of adjustment.

According to the present invention, the head roll portion of a seat backstructure is pivotally attached to the upper end of the back restportion of said structure so that the head roll may be readily andconveniently adjusted to various angular positions relative to the backrest portion by merely applying suitable pressure to the head rest in anappropriate direction. In this connection, the head roll is maintainedin any desired adjusted position by means of a friction clutch. The saidclutch is composed of a plurality of friction discs which are socooperatively embodied in the back structure of the seat as to simplifythe installation and operation thereof. In this connection, the clutchdiscs are mounted on a bar which constitutes a part of the hingedstructure for attaching the head roll to the back rest portion of theseat structure. All of the discs are movable lengthwise of said bar intofrictional engagement with each other and are held in such frictionalcontact by means of a compression spring. Certain of the said discs areformed to cooperatively engage a portion of the head roll structure soas to rotate therewith about the axis of said bar and certain otherdiscs of the clutch structure are held against rotation on said bar withtheir opposite side faces pressed into frictional engagement withadjacent discs by virtue of the force exerted by said compressionspring.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates, in side elevation, a seat back structure providedwith a head rest which is adjustable to various positions in accordancewith this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlargement of the upper portion of the seatback shown in Fig. 1, illustrating in dotted lines a forward adjustmentof the head rest section;

Fig. 3 is a front view in elevation of the upper portion of a seat backstructure with the upholstery removed therefrom so as to illustrate thehinged connection beice tween the head roll and the back rest portion ofthe seat structure;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 through the clutchmechanism shown in Fig. 3 and parts of the adjacent frame, this figurebeing shown on a larger scale for the purpose of clearness; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the clutchmechanism on line 5-5 and illustrating the construction of anotherclutch disc for cooperative engagement with the hinge rod and with aportion of the head roll frame,

The seat structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises aseat cushion 10, an arm rest 11, and a sectional back structure. Theback structure comprises a lower section 12 and an upper or head restsection 13. The head rest section includes a rigid frame comprising abowed tubular element 14, the lower ends of which are welded orotherwise suitably secured to a crossbar 15. The crossbar 15 ispreferably, though not necessarily, rectangular in cross-section so asto provide a support for a nailing strip 15a and to also provide a flatbottom surface 16. A plurality of sleeve elements 17 are welded orotherwise secured to the bottom surface 16 of the bar 15. The saidsleeves are arranged in spaced relation to each other and fit over atubular hinge bar 18 with capacity for rotational movement about thebar. The opposite ends of the bar 1% extend into openings 20 -20 ofadaptor studs 21 and are secured therein against rotation by means ofset screws 18a. The said studs 21 are formed with stem portions 21awhich are tightly fitted in the upper ends of tubular side posts 19-19of the lower section 12 of the back structure.

It will be seen from the above that the elements 17, 18 and 21 provide ahinged attachment of the head roll frame structure to the upper end ofthe frame structure of the lower section 12 of the back rest. The hingedconnection is preferably such that the frame 14 of the head roll portion13 is normally aligned with the side post 19 of the section 12 and isadjustable only to forward angular positions relative to the section 12.In order to avoid movement of the head rest rearwardly from its normalposition, the adaptor studs 21 are formed with flat upper surfaces 21awhich abut against the lower surface 16 of the bar 15 to limit thecounterclockwise movement of the head roll, as shown in Fig. 2, to aposition in which the frame element 14 of the head rollfis alignedwith-the side post 1% of the back rest frame.

An angle bar 22 extends across the back structure and is welded to theside posts 1919 at a location near the upper end so as to firmly securethe side posts together. A nailing strip 23 is mounted on the angle bar22 to which a back panel 24 may be secured. Suitable panels 25 and 26are secured to the front and rear planes of the head roll frame 14. Apad 27 of foam rubber is preferably secured to the panel 25. The frontface of the frame structure of the back rest section 12 is preferablyprovided with a plurality of vertical and transverse straps 2829 whichserve as a support for a foam rubber pad 35. An envelope 31 of sheetmaterial is fitted over the entire structure, as shown in Fig. 2, and isstitched to the pads 27 and 3d, as indicated at 32.

The friction member or clutch for retaining the head roll in variousadjusted positions is indicated generally by the reference character 33.It is of special construction whereby its several parts have directcooperative relation with parts of the lower and upper sections 12 and13 of the back structure. The said clutch includes a series of plates34, 35, all of which are mounted on the hinge rod 18 with capacity formovement lengthwise of the rod and are pressed into frictionalengagement with each other by means of a compression spring 36, one endof which presses against a clutch plate 34 and the other end bears 3against a sleeve 37 fixed to the hinge bar 18 by means of a set screw 38whereby the sleeve 37 may be adjusted lengthwise of the rod 18 toprovide the desired compressioh of the spring. Each of the clutch plates34 is formed with a circular central opening 39 and is rotatable aboutthe outer surface of the bar 1-8.1 The upper ends of the plates 34 areprovided with flat edge surfaces 40 which engage the fiat underface 16of the crossbar '15 whereby movement of the head rest section 13 tovarious angular positions impartsrotary movement of the clutch discs 34about the axis of the hinge bar 18, The clutch plates 35 are in the formtof circular discs and are interposed be tween adjacent clutch plates34' The said discs 35 are formed withcentral openings which receive oneend portion'of the bar 18, the said discs being formed with fiat faces.41 which engage fiat faces 36 formed on the bar 18 and, therefore, lockthe discs 35 against rotation on the bar. t r

When it is desired to adjust the head rest section 13' relative to theback rest section 12, the head rest section is moved from one positionto another by merely applying force thereto in anappropriate directionto turn it about the hinge bar 18. The frictional force exerted by theseveral discs 35 and the cooperating plates 34 will be sufiicient tohold the head roll section 13 in any adjusted position desired. 1

What Iclaim is:

1. A seat back structure, comprising in combination, a back restsection, a head rest section including a hinge bar fixed to the backrest section for hingedly attaching V the head rest section to the upperportion of the back alternative friction members with fiat surfaces forengag ing the fiat surfaces on said hinge bar.

3. A seat back structure as defined in'claim 2 characterized in that thehead rest section includes a frame having a transverse rigidifying barprovided with a fiat lower surface and the group of plates which arerotatably mounted on said hinge bar are formed, with-[straight upperedges slidably engaging the flat lower surface'of said rigidifying bar.I

4. A seat back structure as defined in claim 3 characterized by theprovision of an abutment on said fixed hinge bar and in that the springfor exerting pressure against the friction plates is mounted underpredetermined compression on said hinge bar and bears against saidplates and said abutment. V p

5. A seat back structure as defined in claim 4 characterized in that theends of said hinge bar are secured to adaptor studs fixed to side postelements of a frame structure for the back rest section and in that theupper engaging a portion of the head rest section for limitingthe-rearward movement thereof.

engaging atportion of the head rest section, whereby the last mentionedgroup of plates are rotatably movable with the head ,rest' section aboutsaid hinge bar, and preadjusted spring means positioned to exert uniformaxial pressure against said friction members to hold them in constantfrictional engagement with each other.

2. A seat back structure as defined in claim 1 characterized in' thatthe locking of one group of friction mern- 6. A seat back structure asdefined in claim 5 characterized in that said flat surfaces on saidhinge bar are in the form of chords extending from spaced, points on thecylindrical outer surface of said hinge bar and in that the frictionplates which are rotatably mounted on the hinge bar are positioned toengage only the curved outer surface of the bar intermediate said flatsurfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS SwedenIan. 2,

